Dragon and Liberator

"Alert the crew and soldiers," Neverlin ordered, his breath coming quick and shallow. "If they see it, they're to shoot to kill."

Across the room, an alarm warbled. "Proximity warning," the helmsman called tensely. "It's the Essenay, coming in fast."

"Evasive," Frost ordered. "Morgan must have left a last-ditch ramming order on the computer before he died. Keep us away from the ship. And get that jamming bubble back up."

"Too late," the captain said. "The Essenay's transmitting."

He hit a switch. Alison held her breath. . . .

"Attention, K'da and Shontine," a familiar voice boomed. "Attention, Braxton Universis ships."

And Alison felt her heart surge, the ashes of defeat blazing again with sudden fire.

It was Jack.

"Attention, Braxton Universis ships," Jack called, watching the Advocates Diaboli. The bigger ship had finally noticed the Essenay bearing down on it and was trying to veer away. Turning the control yoke, he swung back toward them. "The ships heading your way are carrying your enemies. For you Braxton people, that includes Arthur Neverlin and Colonel Maximus Frost of the Malison Ring. For you K'da and Shontine, it also includes a group of Valahgua.

"Most important, for all of you, the ships are carrying three Death weapons."

"Identify yourself," a voice demanded, his English carrying an accent Jack didn't recognize.

Draycos lifted his snout from Jack's shoulder and poured out some more of his alien speech. The voice answered back in the same language, and for a few seconds they conversed in short sentences.

Midway through the discussion the violet beam of the Death again swept through the Essenay's cockpit. Again, Jack felt nothing but an unpleasant tingle.

The conversation ended. They're convinced, Draycos said, going flat onto Jack's skin again.

Good, Jack answered. Let's just hope we can convince Braxton's people, too. "Braxton Universis ships—"

"Hello, Jack," a voice cut him off. "Where are you?"

Jack stared at the bridge speaker. "Mr. Braxton?"

"Yes indeed," Braxton confirmed. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the Essenay," Jack said, his mind flashing back to what Harper had said about Alison's thefts from his company. Braxton must want her really badly to have come all this way personally to get her. "Currently working my way toward the Advocatus Diaboli."

"You mean you're in the ship that was just hit with the Death?" Braxton asked.

Jack blinked. "You know about the Death?"

"I know everything," Braxton said. "But if the Death hit you, why are you still alive? Doesn't it work against humans?"

"Oh, it works just fine against humans," Jack said grimly. "And as you saw, Neverlin's got one of them aboard the Advocatus Diaboli. You and your people need to back away before he gets it into range."

"Understood," Braxton said. "But you haven't answered my question."

"I don't know why we're alive," Jack said. "Somehow, a human/K'da combination seems to be immune." He grimaced, belatedly remembering that Braxton didn't know what a K'da was. "A K'da is a sort of—"

"That doesn't make sense," Braxton interrupted. "The Death has no trouble killing K'da/Shontine combinations."

Jack blinked. How in blazes does he know all this?

I don't know, Draycos said. But I have had a sudden thought. With your permission . . .?

Go for it, buddy.

Draycos lifted his head off Jack's shoulder. "Mr. Braxton, this is Draycos," he said.

"The K'da who saved my life on the Star of Wonder," Braxton said. "I hadn't had a chance yet to thank you for that."

He does know a lot, doesn't he? Draycos thought toward Jack. "You're welcome," he said aloud. "There is an analogy I've used regarding the Death. If you wished to destroy the core of a planet, a normal weapon would have to first blast through the crust and mantle to reach it. The Death instead seeks out that core directly, without needing to expend energy on the destruction of its victim's flesh and blood and bone."

"All right," Braxton said. "And?"

"Perhaps a K'da/human combination acts like a double planet," Draycos said. "As the Death seeks out the center of that combination—"

"It seeks out the center of mass," Braxton said, a sudden interest in his voice. "And the center of mass of a double planet is halfway between them. In empty space."

"Exactly," Draycos said. "Again, I don't know how accurate the analogy is. But the fact remains that a human/K'da combination appears to be safe from the Death."

"Interesting," Braxton said softly. "Very interesting indeed."

"Turn it off," Neverlin said quietly.

Like a man awakening from a strange dream, the captain stirred and touched the radio control. The voices cut off.